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In the 6th century the Order of the Five Rings was declared a False Path, and its leader Gorinno, fell in disgrace. One of his members, Gamon, joined the Order of the Nameless Gift. He was a true follower of the "Five Rings, Five Clans" ideal, but it was not the moment to press for their acceptance. Gamon believed that one day Gorinno's philosophy would prevail, and worked for it, stressing the importance of recognizing the correct moment to act. He eventually passed away, but his thoughts on the correct timing of actions persisted as a strain of philosophical inquiry within the Order of the Nameless Gift. [2]

A few generations later, the monk Hyoushi sought to understand time itself. After long research he declared that time was an illusion. To the enlightened mind, all moments existed together: past, present, and future. The other monks considered his notions far too esoteric, so Hyoushi migrated westward into the lands of the Dragon Clan. In a small town he eventually crossed path with a young peasant prostitute. Hyoushi bowed to her and assisted her across a muddy patch of street. [2]

The girl was impressed by the monk she had met, and joined the Order of the Seven Thunders as the nun Kagiri. Over a year later she found in the library of her monastery a scroll deposited there by Hyoushi. She vowed to pursue and spread his studies, so the Order of Eternity was born. [2]

The monks spent their time between meditation and observation of action, seeking to understand the nature of time and divine the proper moment at which to act. Many of them studied astrology to help their reseach. Each monk determined for himself the correct timing of his tasks at a monastery. [2]